Loyalty
by Komiko
Summary: Oneshot: How far Dark would go for a certain Sacred Maiden.


A/N: I don't actually know where this little ficlet came from. Warning: dark, disturbing images.

_/commencer/_

Loyalty

_-_

The pain had become unbearable quite a long time ago. Now, he was merely cuddling in the reprieve awarded to him by the numbness that slowly seeped through his entire body.

There was no one to talk to anymore; no one to whisper sweet nothings in his ear, filling his empty mind with the hope that it would be over soon, because Daisuke had fled to his sacred space soon after the beatings had begun.

If Dark could open his eyes, he would have seen the playful smile gracing those devilish lips. Nevertheless, he could still sense it; his pain was causing his captor extreme joy. Normally, he would have given his left testicle to not let anyone revel in seeing him humiliated.

He was beyond caring at this moment.

"Now, Dark," the melodious voice filtered to his ears, an agonizing caress, "surely you have not yet fallen into unconscious. I know your other half has already abandoned you. The coward," he spoke, the words flowing from his tongue so eloquently, as if this was some tea party, "However, I trust that you are strong enough to hold out for a bit more."

Dark hadn't realized the man had moved until he felt the silvery stroke of a finger against his cheek.

"Aren't you?"

He knew what he would have said, under normal circumstances. _Go to hell._ Crude, but effective. He wasn't into the wishy-washy approach like this guy.

No, this graceful devil was pure evil.

"Well, I'll take your silence as a yes, hm?" The shadow stood up from his crouched position, moving to another part of the cramped room. "All right, my dear Dark. Shall I ask the question again, or may I move straight on to the punishment?"

Where was his infamous pride and ego? Gone, deserted, just like everything else.

Except…

"Or perhaps an intermingling of both? Yes, that will do rather nicely."

A whistle of sound before the whip broke into the already torn skin of Dark's back. Blood instantly surged forth as wounds that had hardly begun to heal were forced open. With the gleaming, sharp silver knife in his other hand, the man created new carvings on Dark's pale arm.

The purple-haired phantom thief inwardly winced at the memory of when he still had the use of his voice. It had seemed so awful then. Now, the violations of his body were measly pillow taps. Nothing at all. Dark briefly thought that this should be a cause of worry, but he brushed it aside. If these were his final moments, he would much rather cling to the image of her.

"Now, my darling Dark, I am going to ask you a question."

Rip. Tear. Gush. Smile.

"I expect you to answer it fully and honestly."

Snip. Carve. Bruise. Chuckle.

"That is, if you decide to answer it at all. I have optimism, though, that this will finally be the time in which you will provide me with the answer I desire."

Burn. Scratch. Pluck. Admire.

"Where is the Sacred Maiden known as Riku Harada?"

Ah, he murmured her name with such a casual gentleness, it almost brought the fight into his soul once again. Alas, Dark simply floated back to his hazed awareness, content with her in his memory. There were not many things, creature or otherwise, that Dark Mousy would surrender everything for.

Riku just happened to be one of them.

As the beatings continued high above his bodily perception, Dark reflected on the knowledge that she was safe. Satoshi had promised that no harm would come to her, and damn it, he believed the bastard. He had to. He sure as hell wasn't going through all this just to have her join him in the afterlife. Oh, yes, Dark no longer had any delusions that he would survive this encounter.

It was all worth it. _She_ was all worth it. He would endure an eternity of this is if it meant she would remain safe, happy, and whole.

He could kick himself for how sappy the entire situation was. You know, if he still had a foot. But what the hell. Might as well die in the name of love, as someone who was _good_ in her eyes.

As far as he was concerned, it was the best way to go.

_/fin/_

A/N: Um, yeah. I think I'm starting to scare myself now. Anyway, kudos to anyone who can figure out the character I was trying for with Dark's punisher (keyword: trying).

And, no, there will not be a sequel or any other chapters to this. It is a ONE-SHOT. And, yes, chapter 6 of LF is coming! Slowly, but surely!


End file.
